State Historical Society of Iowa

Men Outside the Des Moines Brick Company, ca. 1900

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Two adult men standing next to a row of several room-sized brick kilns and a pile of finished bricks.
Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa, ca. 1900

Description

#4 Occupation: General Laborer
General laborers did many things such as make bricks, operate a saw mill, build roads, paint buildings or several other jobs. Many of these workers were called "day laborers" and hired to complete a specific job and then moved on to the next employer rather than working for the same company for many years, like people do today.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What is the working environment for this general laborer?
  • What skills does this general laborer need in order to be successful at his job?
  • How are the skills needed by this general laborer the same and different than the skills needed by a farmer?